Zenato Lugana San Benedetto 2001
- RP
- WE
Winemaker Notes
"Lugana is a white wine area at the southern end of Lake Garda, to the west of Bardolino. San Benedetto is the small village in which the Zenato family has based its operations. Here is an attractive straw-colored wine, based on the Trebbiano grape, with green fruit and vanilla aromas. On the palate, there are soft, ripe fruits. It is full-bodied, with more character than many Italian whites. The acidity keeps it fresh and refreshing, with a ripe, soft aftertaste."
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The Zenato winery possesses a strong link to the richness of its local history and culture, and continues to develop this connection today. The estate is based in a territory that surrounds Lake Garda, with an extraordinary microclimate that allows for an optimal growing season. Cherishing a ‘frank and simple’ approach to life, Zenato is committed to producing affordable wine of exceptional quality. With a passion for the land and a dedication to vigorous research, innovation and quality improvement, Sergio Zenato strived to eclipse past results. He crafted wines that are known for their quality and consistency. Today, the winery operates under a philosophy and mission of Quality (from the vineyard to the bottle and consumer), Passion and Tradition (respecting the roots of the territory and local culture).
Producing every style of wine and with great success, the Veneto is one of the most multi-faceted wine regions of Italy.
Veneto's appellation called Valpolicella (meaning “valley of cellars” in Italian) is a series of north to south valleys and is the source of the region’s best red wine with the same name. Valpolicella—the wine—is juicy, spicy, tart and packed full of red cherry flavors. Corvina makes up the backbone of the blend with Rondinella, Molinara, Croatina and others playing supporting roles. Amarone, a dry red, and Recioto, a sweet wine, follow the same blending patterns but are made from grapes left to dry for a few months before pressing. The drying process results in intense, full-bodied, heady and often, quite cerebral wines.
Soave, based on the indigenous Garganega grape, is the famous white here—made ultra popular in the 1970s at a time when quantity was more important than quality. Today one can find great values on whites from Soave, making it a perfect choice as an everyday sipper! But the more recent local, increased focus on low yields and high quality winemaking in the original Soave zone, now called Soave Classico, gives the real gems of the area. A fine Soave Classico will exhibit a round palate full of flavors such as ripe pear, yellow peach, melon or orange zest and have smoky and floral aromas and a sapid, fresh, mineral-driven finish.
Much of Italy’s Pinot grigio hails from the Veneto, where the crisp and refreshing style is easy to maintain; the ultra-popular sparkling wine, Prosecco, comes from here as well.
Compared to other white wine-producing varieties, Trebbiano claims some of the most vineyard acreage on a global scale. There are six distinct varieties with Trebbiano as part of their name in Italy alone. Trebbiano Toscano, one of the most popular, is deliciously light and crisp. Trebbiano d’Abruzzo actually has some aging potential when handled carefully. Somm Secret—Known as Ugni Blanc in France, Trebbiano is responsible for the whites in Southwest, France called Gascogne Blanc.